Cook told the San Francisco Chronicle that he decided to break tradition and eliminate the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance prior to the start of the meeting to highlight the divisive political climate in which the Trump administration “has been attacking our liberties.”

Cook has a history of protesting the pledge. Before he was elected as president of the school board, he would stand, but refused to say the words at meetings.

“We should stand for (the pledge) because those ideals are important to me,” he said. “To speak them is another thing.”